Seated in High Places
Lampstands in the Darkness: The Identity of The Church • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 51 viewsWe are promised seating in High Places. This seat means it is better to be the one who is spiritually driven and able to be a refreshing pool than to not make a decision.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Hot and Cold
If you live AZ you have probably noticed we are home to a very interesting anomaly. Many of you noticed it today as you prepared to come to service. You jumped in the shower hoping to cool off and be refreshed in cool water but instead you were met by water that was not hot and was not cold. It was warm, not just warm it gross warm.
I am one that loves my food to be hot especially soups, or coffee. When the bowl sits out too long it gets room temperature or just barely warm and ruins the dish. Posole is not good unless its hot… When you eat tepid food it gross you want to spit it out.
As people there is a charge to be hot, or to be cold and not to be warm or tepid it speaks of decisive action and not to vacillate in the middle.
Either we build a strong firm foundation in Christ or… we choose to have a cold distant relationship with Him.
In this relationship we cannot state in one breath Jesus values all life and with our action declare He is agreeable to the murdering of innocent infants.
While the governmental courts appear to have given a moral victory, they really only decided on the validity of the case, and have not argued the morality of the case. Yet today we see many including churches who are upset over a ruling that is intended to protect both the life of the unborn as much as it protects the woman carrying said child.
The church cannot take such a cold approach on the sanctity of life and still say they are on fire for Christ.
Many want to dine with the Lord but are unwilling to put in the work.
To Dine with the Lord our Relationship With Him Must be Hot.
To Dine with the Lord our Relationship With Him Must be Hot.
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
City of Laodicea
Rivaled Ephesus in beauty and power
Advanced in Medicine
Money was bountiful
Survives a destructive earthquake
Refuses governmental financial assistance
Water Aqueducts
Hierapolis 6 mi south Mineral Hot Springs
Fresh water from Colassae
The water was just not appealing.
Self-Sufficiency
Philadelphia trusted the Lord with everything
Buying into erred doctrine
Hez (apocrypha) 6 God helps those who help themselves
Late 400’s BC Euripedes resounds this statement
No doubt they repeated this taught platitude
Christians believed they could do well for themselves and invite God into the picture latr
Today God is not the center of many “Christian’s faith, He is only part of their self sufficiency
Intellect
Strength
Resources
Finances
Work
ME ME ME ME ME
Relationship with the Lord means forsaking everything trusting Him above all things
Revelation of Jesus
Revelation of Jesus
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
The Amen
Understanding
He speaks and it is so
Contractual language
It is so
When He speaks into our lives who can counter
Faithful and True witness
He was their from the very beginning
Sustains all things by His nature (Heb 1:3)
His Essence
The only one who can see it all and testify
The beginning
No one is telling Him what happened He was there in the beginning (Col 1:15)
Opposed to Greek Mythology He does not depend on the people they Depend on Him… (I am Being)
No Commendation for Self Sufficiency
No Commendation for Self Sufficiency
Revelation of Christ speaks against the compromised witness of the church
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Intimate knowledge of Ineffective Work
Lack of spiritual drive
Halfhearted commitment to Christ
Hot water had healing medicinal purposes
Cold water was refreshing and drinkable
Water in Laodicea was only warm and made one sick and nauseas
Hot: Christ speaks of the person to either be one who is on fire and is willing to engage in the spiritual warefare occuring
Cold: Christ speaks of the people being the refreshing pool of water in which the weary traveler may be revitalized
They are neither and therefore will be not spit out but vomitted out. It makes Him Nauseas to have a people who depend on their own strong arm to provide
You think you are rich (You have money)
You think you are prospered (You Did it)
Need Nothing (Do not Rely on the Power of God.)
Your efforts are Vacant
Spiritual Compromise = Spiritual Misery
Financial Compromise = Financial Misery
Physical Compromise = Spiritual Bankruptcy
Blind = Cannot see in the Spirit
Naked = No Spiritual Covering
Exhorted to Depend on Christ Alone
Exhorted to Depend on Christ Alone
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Reminder of How it will cost you everything to follow Christ
His Riches are beyond compare
Garments can only be made white by Him
The power of true healing is in His hand
He will be the spiritual covering
Repentance is the first step
He does not force anyone to have an intimate relationship
Out of Love He draws us to Him
Desire to be intimate
Desires to prepare a table for us in which we can dine.
Promises of Being Seated with Him
Promises of Being Seated with Him
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Intimacy requires commitment
Reward of sitting with Him is a result of a renewed relationship with Him.
Not everyone sits on His throne this is for the one who overcomes.